Muslims for Humanity

A group of hard-working volunteers took to the streets of Huddersfield last weekend to help clean up their local area and spread the community spirit.

It may be the middle of winter yet it was spring cleaning which had caught the imagination of the local Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association (AMYA) as they arrived on Sunningdale Road on Saturday morning.

The young team of between 15 and 20 volunteers, working alongside Woodland Trust conservationists, got stuck in to cleaning the area, which had been left by council workers as it was inaccessible.

TEAM: Between 15 and 20 volunteers spent their own time volunteering in Huddersfield last weekend

It is the second such cleaning operation which the group has held recently, with a similar event being staged in Fartown last month, with more planned for the near future.

MESS: Bags of rubbish were taken away from the site which had become a hotspot for fly-tippers

Kamal Aftab, local youth leader for AMYA Huddersfield, said he was humbled by the response from the local residents after the latest successful initiative.

He said: “It was a very enjoyable experience for all involved and we were extremely touched by the response of the local neighbours who came out of their homes to talk to us about our work.

“Their kind words, telling us how much they appreciated the work we were doing, really made everything worthwhile and the entire group felt they had really achieved something.”

He added: “The cleaning project is an ongoing thing that we hope to keep doing across the local district.
“As part of our faith it says we must look after the environment so by doing initiatives like this we are not only doing that but also building up relations with the local community.”

ENVIRONMENT: Volunteers from the Yorkshire AMYA group planted 3,000 treeslast month in Dewsbury

It is not just the cleaning scheme which has been keeping the Huddersfield AMYA group busy over the festive period with a number of events held recently.

As well as visits to a number of local establishments, such as the children's ward at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary; Kirkwood Hospice; and Paddock Lodge Care Home to name just a few, the group have also been planting trees around their local district.

“We planted more than 3,000 trees last month in Dewsbury as part of our 30,000 national target,” Kamal said.

“We have another planting day planned for this weekend where we will hopefully plant thousands more and continue to give back to the environment.”

VOLUNTEER: The grounds were inspected and cleaned by young members of the local community

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Youth Association is a nationwide organisation, consisting of 15 to 40 year olds, who are dedicated to giving back to their communities.